Blue Jackets | Alexander Wennberg OK after hard hit

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Alexander Wennberg might have a sore neck today when the Blue Jackets play at the New Jersey Devils. But it could have been much, much worse.

Wennberg was planted face-first into the boards Saturday by Islanders right wing Ryan Strome, a scary moment early in the second period of the Blue Jackets’ 3-2 overtime win at the Barclays Center.

“It wasn’t the best feeling,” Wennberg said with a smile after the game. “I’m trying to turn and it happened so quick. I came in awkwardly. I don’t know if he did it on purpose; I don’t think so. You just try to shake it off and play.”

Wennberg was momentarily trampled by a scrum of Blue Jackets and Islanders after Jackets captain Nick Foligno stepped up to Strome to answer for the hit. But after crawling out of the pile, Wennberg skated gingerly to the bench with Blue Jackets trainer Mike Vogt trailing him off the ice.

“That’s one of our best players, Wennberg,” Foligno said. “He’s done a lot of really good things for us, and that’s a dangerous play. You’re going to stand up for your teammates when you see something like that happen.”

Strome was not penalized for the hit on Wennberg, a decision that sent Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella stomping and ranting from the bench at NHL official Marc Joanette.

“It’s a dangerous, dangerous play,” Tortorella said. “Forget about the game in that moment; it’s just the person (you’re thinking about). Where he was — off the boards — and where that hit was, that’s a really dangerous play. Thank God he’s OK.”

Climbing the charts

Rookie defenseman Zach Werenski is closing in on yet another franchise record.

With two assists against the Islanders, Werenski has 46 points (11 goals and 35 assists), passing Jaroslav Spacek (45 points, 2002-03) for the second-most productive season by a Blue Jackets defenseman.

With 12 games to play, he needs five points to match James Wisniewski’s mark (51 points, 2013-14).

Slap shots

The Blue Jackets did not have a power play in a game for the fifth time this season. … The Jackets improved to 16-6-1 against the Metropolitan Division and took three out of four from the Islanders in the season series.

aportzline@dispatch.com

@Aportzline

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